Tyeb Mela is a homage to the multifaceted practice of Tyeb Mehta and to his particular interest in tradition, performance and cinema. Spanning two days, the Mela begins with the screening of carefully curated films on the first day. On the second day, a traditional Dhak player group led by Toton Das from Bengal will come and play synchronizing with the series "drummer" that was an integral part of Mehta's work. This performance intervention will be followed by a new performance response piece developed by a set of contemporary dancers led by Manju Sharma. Four dancing bodies will perform across the exhibition's spaces, indulging in a potential gesture mapping of different bodily movements within the artists' visual language. The Mela will conclude with a short panel discussion.

Image courtesy, copyright, and collection of National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi.

Schedule

Day 1: 1 May 2026

Timings:

2.00pm - 2.15pm: Syzygy, 1970                                 

2.20pm - 3.45pm: Duvidha, 1973

3.45pm - 3.50pm: Dream Houses, 1969

3.50pm - 4.30pm: Refreshments

4.30pm - 6.35pm: Afternoons of Solitude, 2024

6.35pm - 6.45pm: Introduction to Koodal

6.45pm - 7.00pm: Koodal, 1970

7.00pm - 7.45pm: Discussions 

AFTER-HOURS SPECIAL

Timings:

9:00 pm onwards

The Wolf House, 2018

Day 2: 2 May 2026

Timings:

2.00pm - 2.30pm: Audience gathering

2.30pm: Dhak Performance Toton Das, Bhakti Das, Khokhan Das    

3.15pm: Refreshments

4.00pm: A performance response by Manju Sharma, Parinay Mehra, Riya Mandal, Parinay Mehra, Riya Mandal, and Kunal Sood

5.30pm: Panel Discussion